The invention relates to a device for the treatment of a region of a human body, which device comprises the following means: a housing which can be held by hand, a tool for treating a region of a body, drive means for driving said tool, and compression force definition means for defining a range for a desired compression force obtaining between the region of the body and the tool.
Such a device is known from the patent document EP 0 481 553 A1. This known device is an electric toothbrush with a brush head as the tool. In the known device, a blade spring of undulating shape is provided as the compression force definition means which is fastened by its one end to a non-adjustable support part connected to the housing of the known device and which accordingly engages this support part, and which by its other free end bears immediately on the drive means of the known device. The known device does indeed have a very simple constructional arrangement of its compression force definition means, but a desired compression force can only be defined within a given, and comparatively narrow range in this case by means of this simple constructional arrangement, which range is mainly defined by the spring characteristic of the blade spring provided.
The invention has for its object not only to enable a limited definition of a defined compression force in a device for the treatment of a region of a human body, but also to enable a comparatively multiple definition of a region for a desired compression force, and to provide an improved device in a simple manner by comparatively simple means.
To achieve the object indicated above, a device of the kind described in the opening paragraph according to the invention is characterized in that adjustment means are provided in the housing which are designed for adjusting the range for a desired compression force.
It is achieved by the measures according to the invention that several mutually different ranges for a desired compression force for pressing the tool of a device according to the invention against a body region under treatment can be set in a simple manner and by simple means, the adjustment of said ranges being achievable with said adjustment means with fine tuning. In spite of the achievable fine tuning, the solution is found by simple means.
Separate adjustment means may be provided in a device according to the invention. It was found to be very advantageous, however, if the adjustment means are formed by a support part which is adjustable relative to the housing by means of a manual control member. The support part, which is necessary anyway, is thus used at the same time as the adjustment means.
In connection with the above, it was found to be particularly advantageous if the adjustable support part comprises an adjustment cam which has a changing height gradient. A particularly fine tuning of the range for a desired compression force is achievable in this manner.
In connection with the above, it was found to be particularly advantageous if the adjustable support part is formed by a disc, and a rotary knob serving as the manual control member is connected to said disc, which knob has an extension which is passed through a hole in the housing and by means of which the rotary knob is connected to the disc. These embodiments were found to be advantageous as regards a comfortable adjustment of a desired compression force and as regards a simple mounting of the adjustable support part and the manual control member for rotating the compression force definition means.
In a device according to the invention, the compression force definition means may be realized by magnetic means or electromagnetic means. It was found to be particularly advantageous, however, if the compression force definition means are formed by spring means in a device according to the invention, as is known from the known device described in the preamble, in which the spring means are formed by a blade spring.
In a device according to the invention, the spring means may be realized not only through a blade spring configuration, but also through an alternative spring configuration. It was found to be particularly advantageous in the present case if the spring means are realized in the form of a wire spring.
It was found to be particularly advantageous in view of the above if the wire spring comprises a central portion bent into a U-shape and two spiraling spring portions as well as two load legs. This arrangement is characterized by a high simplicity and reliability. Furthermore, it is advantageous in this embodiment that the spiraling spring portions are utilized not only for their resilient action but also additionally for journaling the wire spring.
It was found to be very advantageous in a device according to the invention if the drive means are accommodated in retention means which are journaled about a pivot rod which is passed through the retention means, and if the retention means comprise two holder regions provided on either side of the pivot rod, of which regions one is designed for accommodating a motor and the other for accommodating part of a gear transmission. These embodiments were found to be particularly advantageous in practical tests, because a pivot point in the region of the center of gravity of the drive means can be easily achieved thereby.
Furthermore, it was found to be highly advantageous in relation to the use of a wire spring is this wire spring is journaled with its two spiraling spring portions on the pivot rod and if the wire spring bears with its two load legs on two spring leg receptacles of the retention means. These embodiments are advantageous for rendering mounting of such a wire spring as simple as possible.
It was found to be particularly advantageous when a device according to the invention is constructed as a facial treatment device. It should be noted, however, that a device according to the invention may alternatively be constructed as an electric toothbrush. It should further be noted that a device according to the invention need not only be constructed as a device for the treatment of a body region of a living creature, preferably of a human being, i.e. for the treatment of a region of a body consisting of organic substances, but that a device according to the invention may also be constructed for the treatment of a region of a body which is formed from inanimate components, for example from leather or metal or wood, in which case it would be a device for the treatment of shoes, or a device for the treatment of tableware or jewelry, or a device for the treatment of furniture.
The above and further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiment described below and are further clarified with reference to this embodiment.